Pura Vida Ministries

Sister Connie, 1935 - 2020

5/22/2020

by Mark Ely

Photos of Sister Connie from 2005+

We are deeply saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Sister Connie of the Maryknoll Contemplative Community in Lemoa, Guatemala. Connie was a source of inspiration and hope to countless people in both Guatemala and the United States. Her incredibly generous and ecumenical spirit will be missed profoundly.

Connie lived life on her own terms, and those terms were tough. She had strong opinions and delivered them in an even stronger Bronx accent. She had no patience for greed and corruption. She felt that change in Guatemala was only going to come from the bottom up.

Sister Connie in November, 2018.

Unlike many opinionated people, she put her money where her mouth was. She dedicated her life to helping those in extreme need. And she got a lot done.

She was building homes for poor families in Lemoa long before we started, and our own home-building program was based on her work up to that point. She knew widows and orphans from the civil war, and always had a list of the neediest. She put us in contact with local leadership to help identify schools that needed better facilities. More recently, she helped start a nutrition program in Lemoa which is doing great work.

We don't know exactly what happened on Wednesday. We do know that it was quick. Sister Helen wrote to give us an idea of how the day went:

On Sunday Connie didn’t have much energy so she stayed in bed. The following days she felt better but but her energy level was still low. She mentioned that she had a pain on her left side. However on Wednesday she felt better and we had a beautiful morning prayer together. I share the last lines of the reading that morning from the Maryknoll Book of Inspiration for May 20th:

It is the love of God within me that will be the driving force of my life. The more this love grows within me the more I can say with St. Paul -- I live no longer I but Christ lives in me. (Gal.2-20)

After this Connie had some breakfast, washed her clothes and hung them in the sun to dry. She then spent a half hour doing some email. She felt tired so laid down for a while. At ten o’clock she came into the kitchen where I was working and said it was time for a coffee break so I joined her.

She had barely taken a sip of her drink when she gave a loud sigh and her head fell over and there was no response. I immediately called Valentina, who came running over from the Nutrition Center called to the Alcalde (village leadership) to bring the nurses over from the Health Center. The Alcalde, his helpers, and the two nurses came quickly but there was no response from Connie. The bomberos (first responders) came but could do nothing as she had already died. It must have been a massive heart attack. She left us so quickly and is alive in her new life

Valentina is truly an angel. She knew what to do and managed all the arrangements. Sister Bernice, whose mission is in San Andres, came as quickly as she could and she too is another angel for me.

The coffin was placed in our small chapel and our friends kept vigil all night. The Directivas of the Parish took care of arranging for her burial here in the Lemoa Cemetery.

With the Coronavirus restrictions in pace, only a few people could come to the mass we had in the morning for Connie in in our little chapel. Because no travel was permitted between departments (states) the rest of our Maryknoll Sisters or Affiliates were not able to come. Two of the Charity Sisters who live in Quiche were with us as we walked to the cemetery accompanied by many of the people of Lemoa, who love her and had been help by her, for the burial service which Bernice did so meaningfully and beautifully.

We all threw a flower into the grave. Connie is in Peace.

I consider myself fortunate to have spent so much time in Connie's company. She was one of those rare people who change the course of your life without you knowing it. I will miss her deeply.

Biography

Constance Pospisil joined the Maryknoll order on February 12, 1957, as a nurse from Rockville Centre, N.Y. She began work in Chile in 1961 in clinics and in community-based health education programs. In 1982 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in New York. In 1989 Sister Connie was assigned to Brazil, where she worked to establish a health center for women on the northeast coast. Sister Connie joined the Maryknoll Contemplative Community in Lemoa, Guatemala in 2004, where with Sister Helen Werner she maintained a prayer presence. She also started a number of initiatives to help community members improve their lives. Connie was a board member of our local Pura Vida NGO in Guatemala.

[ Photos of Sister Connie from 2005+ ]

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Life Under Lockdown -- April 12, 2020

4/12/2020

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by Mark Ely, Executive Director

A look at how our students and their families are handling the COVID-19 crisis.

Jaime teaching his parents to play chess

Jaime and his family are currently sheltering at home. His father is working, since he is a baker and it is a daily consumer product. They go to work with the necessary sanitary measures and they return before the curfew. They have more time to share, they do some family activities such as tidying up the house, sweeping, and playing. Likewise, Jaime is studying via virtual platform, and is making the most of his time so that he is able to resume classes without delay when they resume.

Angélica's family. She's the tall one.

Angélica's father is only able to work half a day due to the curfew. The members of the family are sheltered in their home. The children are helping the mother to clean the house, wash the dishes, collect reeds in the grove, among other activities. Before the suspension of classes, Angélica was doing her teaching practice in a small rural school. To take advantage of the free time, she is working on the materials she will use when classes resume.

María has been helping her mother around the house and reading to her little brother. Her father is a tailor who makes traditional clothing. He still works during the week, but the demand for these products has decreased. Due to lack of transportation, he goes to his workplace by foot.

María reading to her brother

Helping with the laundry

Marta studying

Her mother weaving

Things are complicated for Marta and her mother. Government restrictions and a fall in demand resulted in the shutdown of the cooperative where Marta's mother sells her woven reeds. For the moment they are staying at home, safeguarding the health of the family. Marta is keeping up with her school work. Her mother is still weaving reeds with hopes that they will soon be back in demand.

Related news: COVID-19 in Guatemala -- April 12, 2020

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COVID-19 in Guatemala -- April 12, 2020

4/12/2020

7 Comments

by Mark Ely, Executive Director

We have been closely monitoring the impact of the new coronavirus on our partner communities in Guatemala. Families are concerned about the situation, and the government has taken measures to avoid the spread of the virus in the country. At this time, families are sheltering in their homes.

Pura Vida student Diego and his family shelling corn while sheltering in place

The president of Guatemala has declared a state of emergency including the following measures:

Limitations on free movement
Prohibitions of large gatherings
Suspensions of public shows and any kind of meetings
Limitations on the circulation of urban and extra-urban transport

Families must remain in their homes except for trips to buy food and essential supplies. Making the situation more difficult, markets are open only from 4:00 AM to 12:00 PM by order of the government. Since public transport has been suspended, it is difficult for rural residents to reach major markets unless they have their own means of transportation.

Since the arrival of the virus, many companies have closed. Those remaining open for business must follow sanitary measures stipulated by the government to protect their customers. Transportation companies were hit hard, with about 2,000 bus drivers and assistants losing their jobs as a result of the imposed sanitary measures.

On March 22, the federal government declared a curfew from 4:00 PM to 4:00 AM, during which time absolutely no one can be outside their home, on the streets, or somewhere in public. Violators can be detained, fined, or even sent to prison. Experts are currently recommending that the curfew be maintained through the end of April.

The Minister of Education suspended classes for the month of April. Some public and private establishments are distributing homework through virtual platforms so that students can take advantage of time at home, and then turn in the tasks done when classes resume. Many students in rural communities are taking advantage of classes provided by radio and television.

In rural communities, the indigenous leadership has established measures restricting access. For those arriving with cargo, drivers must use masks and must disinfect their vehicle in order to prevent the virus from entering the communities.

Price of some commodities has increased due to the crisis, most notably corn.

Related News: Life Under Lockdown -- April 12, 2020

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English Immersion Camp 2019

7/30/2019

By JoAnn Vogt

On June 28, thirteen Coloradans – a mixed bag of newbies and experienced Guatemala hands, teenagers and old folks, Methodists and Presbyterians, Spanish speakers and not-so-much – flew off to Houston to join two Wisconsinites for the journey to the highlands of western Guatemala. During our week at the English language camp in Lemoa, we came to bond with one another and to appreciate a beautiful part of the world.

But most of all, we came to love our schoolchildren. They ranged from fourth graders to ninth graders and had varying levels of competency in English. They were eager and enthusiastic, and we all hoped they were learning as much from us as we learned from them. They patiently tried to teach us K'iche' words and didn’t giggle more than necessary at our pronunciation. Our three teenage team members each had an adoring following, and even we old abuelas and abuelos got hugs – something I never received from my undergraduate German students back in the day.

We got in some exploring at the beginning and the end of the camp. Throughout, we were lucky to have the talented and affable Nacho (a/k/a King of the Road) as our driver, and to have Raúl as our translator (and as our future criminal defense lawyer, should we find ourselves in trouble in Guatemala).

Things I learned: (1) TSA at DIA has a problem with tuna cans in carry-on bags; (2) “don’t flush paper down the toilet” means just that; (3) loud booms at 4:30 a.m. do not necessarily mean war if you’re in Chichicastenango and it’s St. Thomas’s day; (4) the next physician accompanying a group should probably leave the surgical scissors at home (the security personnel at the Guatemala City airport were underwhelmed with Terry’s attempt to demonstrate their lack of sharpness by poking himself in the arm).

Thank you, Pura Vida, for giving us this life-changing experience, and thank you for what you do for the children of Guatemala. I see their country’s future in their faces.

SLUMC Guatemala Work Trip -- March, 2019

4/23/2019

by John Mezger

“Angels!” On the first morning of our visit to Chichicastenango, Guatemala, representatives from the nearby John Wesley School greeted our work group to bless us and pray. Recognizing our team and St. Luke’s for our years of work in the area, they called us “angels.” Angels abounded in and around “Chichi” that week, but they were evident in the endlessly happy and playful children, and through the eyes of their parents, whose deep gratitude was obvious every day. We were simply workers blessed to be there and share in the joy.

Our team of 27 included members and friends of St. Luke’s, as well as Sandy Teel, who met us enroute to Guatemala from her home in New Jersey. Some on the team were very experienced, having completed the trip more than a dozen times, while others were “newbies”. But the common curiosity, dedication and commitment on the part of each traveler resulted in a remarkable group experience. Trip leader John Williams and Team Leader Ron Miller led the way.

"The work group – familiar faces, new faces, all with the biggest hearts, wanting to make a difference in some people’s lives, which will hopefully enhance them forever….coming to Guatemala, I see the babies’ faces and young mothers, hoping they will have a better future…or maybe it starts with their babies."

-- Work team member journal entry.

We traveled from Denver to Antigua, Guatemala on Saturday, March 23, and then rode into the mountainous area in the department of Quiche on Sunday. That day the team had the opportunity to attend the world-famous “Chichi” market of hand-crafted items, foods, and native folks with amazing persistence and negotiating skills.

Monday through Friday, the team worked. Three houses, in Chichi and two neighboring villages, were substantially completed, with roofing and floors to be added by future teams including a St. Luke’s youth team. We mixed mortar and added about six feet of elevation to each concrete block structure. Whenever they were able to visit with us the families who would be receiving these shelters were as gracious and helpful as possible. It’s difficult not to be excited about your task when you’re greeted in the early morning by a tiny child, perhaps three years old, holding a trowel and giving you a look that says “Let’s go!”!

On Wednesday the team had the opportunity to visit the school in Lemoa, serving grades one through six, that St. Luke’s and Pura Vida have been instrumental in building. More than 100 students entertained with dances and skits, and for a couple of hours everyone played athletic and educational games with the students, celebrating the success of the school and the children. It was inspiring, exhausting, and tremendous fun.

“You can see in the faces of the very young principal and teachers their earnest efforts to educate and nurture that body of children The young children pressed forward as they happily accepted the break from class to present a program of thanks, play games, and just be kids….To me, education equals opportunity. And the work done by St. Luke’s and Pura Vida to promote the education of children lays the cornerstone of opportunity.” – work team member journal entry.

The team also was able to spend time with sisters Connie and Helen from the Maryknoll Contemplative Community in Lemoa. The sisters have worked to aid and educate the poor in the region for decades. As inspirational as the children were on this trip, so was sister Helen, working hard at age 99.

During the work week, many team members took time out to visit with their sponsored students. Often, children in Guatemala are obliged to leave school prior to reaching sixth grade, to work with their families in craft production and farming. The only education available at higher grades is in private schools, which most can’t afford. The 30 students who met with their St. Luke’s sponsors may continue their education into high school and beyond, because their tuition is paid by their sponsors. St. Luke’s members who would like to sponsor students should review the Pura Vida web-site or contact Laura Richards at St. Luke’s!

Members of St. Luke’s have supported Pura Vida’s work in Guatemala with work trips since 2005, building dozens of houses and sponsoring hundreds of students. The blessings of this initiative flow both ways: “It is truly amazing what motivated and compassionate Christians can accomplish in one week in Guatemala. I’ve enjoyed seeing our team bond together in a spirit of service and make a difference…one family at a time”. – team member journal entry.

The St. Luke’s Guatemala mission team members change lives - often their own – as they bring housing, education and hope to some of the world’s most needy.

FUMC Loveland Guatemala Work Trip -- Feb. 2019

2/27/2019

by Charlie Bouchard

February 2019 marked the fourth service trip to Guatemala for Loveland FUMC. This year we had 4 first timers and 15 folks who had been on at least one of the previous trips. I think this speaks volumes to the impact the Pura Vida Guatemala trips have had on the lives of those who have participated. We all have a better understanding of what it means to be the hands and feet of God on these trips. The first year we came down to build houses. Now we return each year to build relationships with Guatemalans, and the houses get built. I dare say the building of relationships is the enduring reward for all. It is such a joy to see our construction crew and interpreters each year - like a renewal of friendships.

As in past years, we were privileged to spend a morning at the Rosario School. Last year the Penguinos visited the school and created a memorable experience for all. This year tiburones (sharks) swam to shore at the school. Songs were sung, ropes jumped, books read, ice cream shared, and wonderful crafts created. In a highlight, Betsy (the principal of Rosario), donned the shark costume and danced with the students. Pure joy and delight were seen in the eyes of Betsy and her students.

Definition of a service trip: Doing work you could not be paid to do at home, in conditions that OSHA would never approve, and being grateful for the opportunity. I wrote that on my first trip to Guatemala in 2016. When we get out of our comfort zone, I believe it is easier to see God’s love in action and our faith is rewarded. I encourage all to be “sharks out of water” and get your fins dirty on a service trip. The swim is worth it!

English Immersion Camp 2018

7/31/2018

By Samantha Hansen

While El Volcán de Fuego brought into question the possibility of our trip, I am beyond excited to say our trip was completely unaffected. While in Chichicastenango, we visited markets, practiced haggling, and met many people making a living selling their handiwork, or more accurately, art.

Our mission was to teach English to the children of the John Wesley School in Santa Cruz del Quiché. We ran our English Camp in Lemoa where 4th through 9th graders came and practiced with us every day for a week. Between classes, we visited the Mayan Ruins, the John Wesley School, the nutrition center, and two American women, Sister Connie and Sister Helen, who had served in Guatemala for many years.

During class, we taught the kids through immersion, meaning we spoke almost exclusively in English around them. The kids plowed through units faster than we could've imagined. We taught a wide range of things, including colors, family members, weather, and foods.

This was important because education is not something these kids can, or ever would, take for granted. Education is a privilege, not a right, yet in America we fail to comprehend that. Giving these kids an opportunity at an education in a second language is extremely important, and a significant add on to a limited education system.

We all felt blessed to be there, and many of us are already making plans to go back again next summer. It feels good to make a difference, especially if it means serving the Lord as well.

FUMC Loveland Guatemala Work Trip -- Feb. 2018

2/19/2018

by Charlie Bouchard

This 2018 trip to Guatemala marks the third visit for First United Methodist in Loveland, CO. It is a blessing to be able to see continuity and to renew relationships with our Guatemalan friends as well as build new relationships.
As usual, the highlight of the week was spending time with the students at the Rosario school

This year there were special visitors: two penguinos danced the Penguino Dance (AKA the Hokey Pokey). Our school visit coincided with Ash Wednesday, Carnaval, and Valentines Day. After the planned activities ended, we celebrated Carnaval with the school. During the revelry of confetti and music, I danced with one young student (yes - I was one of the penguinos!). She had the face of an angel and as she looked up at me, her big brown eyes reflected awe and wonder. I, on the other hand, knew I was looking into the eyes of God.

It has been my experience that personal growth occurs when we step out of our comfort zone. A Pura Vida service trip certainly qualifies on that count! Our team worked hard on our two home sites and made good progress. However, our personal growth dwarfed the building progress on our home construction. We all came back more - more compassionate, more empathetic, more grateful. We can only hope we impact the lives of Guatemalans half as much as they impact us.

Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision (hope), the people perish”. In Guatemala, the need is great. It is a privilege to be able to give hope a face for the wonderful people of Guatemala.

Pura Vida’s financial model: Self-sustainability

7/17/2017

by Mark Ely

In 2002 when Pura Vida was growing from idea to reality, I did what a lot of startup founders do: I worked around the clock, pretty much lived out of donated office space, funded the organization with my personal savings, and refused to take any sort of compensation. Luckily for me I had some savvy board members who eventually put a stop to all of that. They understood that for long-term survival of the organization, sustainability was essential.

During the startup phase of any organization this kind of behavior is not unusual, and often doesn’t even feel like a sacrifice. But my board knew I couldn’t do that for more than a few years without burning out, so they gently prodded me to make the programs self-sustaining. As a result, we have extremely robust programs for an organization of our size.

It turns out that I had a basic misconception of how an effective nonprofit organization should function. My early philosophy was that donations to our programs should be straight pass-throughs, with some large fund or donor financing oversight and program development. I figured I would just pay that out of my pocket until such a fund or donor arrived on the scene.

My board encouraged me to consider the costs of implementing of such a high-minded plan. I soon found out that it was easy to give money away, but hard to make sure it was used effectively. For beneficial long term results, simply throwing money at a problem wasn't enough. As an example, for our scholarship program we have to evaluate potential scholarship recipients, track their progress, distribute funding in regular amounts to the right person to prevent spree spending, and perform many more checks and balances. This requires coordination by local staff, which costs money.

At this fork in the road, some organizations stick to their guns and pledge to raise separate funding for those activities. Some lucky ones have large donors in their back pockets. Others, however, must raise a massive amount of unrestricted funding every year to cover this.

Unrestricted funds are notoriously difficult to raise. They also fluctuate with the economy more than donations to designated programs. I finally realized that tying the viability of an organization’s programs to the ongoing success of unrestricted fundraising was pretty risky. Later I saw first-hand some of the problems encountered by other small organizations working in Guatemala which had taken this approach. Pura Vida does rely on some unrestricted funding, but it’s one stream of many. Thanks to our sustainable financial model, we has never had to cut staff, or defund programs, or drop students.

So what is our model for sustainability? It simply involves covering the full cost of each program with designated donations. This includes what I will refer to as direct and indirect costs. Using the example of a student sponsorship, a sponsor’s donation covers direct costs like tuition, books, uniforms, supplies, and transportation. It also covers indirect benefits such as helping to fund the education of scholarship students who are not yet sponsored, costs of keeping records on sponsored children, translating and forwarding letters, and meeting emergencies. As long as there is a critical mass of sponsored students, the program can survive on it’s own financially without huge infusions of unrestricted funding. That frees up our staff and volunteers to do more meaningful work developing programs and growing relationships.

Looking back, I’m happy that my board nudged Pura Vida in the right direction for long-term success. We still have a need for reliable unrestricted funding, and I want to thank our unrestricted donors for their ongoing support. We hope to continue funding and growing our programs in the future with this self-sustaining model.

Our First Bachelor's Degree

6/14/2017

by Mark Ely

Until now it was unthinkable that a young woman from Lemoa, Guatemala could graduate from university with a bachelor's degree. History was made this month when Sebastiana Gonzales did just that. Not only is she the first Pura Vida scholarship student to get to this point, but she also the first resident of Lemoa to do so.

Sebastiana was selected for a Pura Vida scholarship as a 6th grader in the Lemoa public school in 2003. Since then she has thrived academically, finishing her associate's and bachelor's degrees with excellent grades. She currently teaches math at the John Wesley School and is part of the local Pura Vida staff. With her new degree she will be able to teach mathematics and physics at the university level.

Sebastiana is a big believer in paying it forward. She recently told us "What we want is for the community to progress. Not just the families benefiting from the scholarship program, but all families."

She practices what she preaches. She has taken on ground-breaking responsibilities as the first female among our 8 scholarship program community leaders. She also tutors our students and coordinates our annual milk distribution in Lemoa.

Sebastiana and her mother

We saw Sebastiana's confidence grow during her years in the program

Sebastiana has been sponsored long-term by Pura Vida board member Lyle SmithGraybeal and his wife Felicia. Due to their commitment, Sebastiana was able to go much further than expected in her education. She recently told our staff that without a scholarship, she would never have continued her studies past sixth grade.

Now, thanks to committed sponsors, we have 28 other students attending university. We hope that this number will continue to grow, and that the graduates will make a beneficial impact on their communities.

[ University sponsorship program details ]

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